OB Beer Labor-Management Wage Negotiation Agreement Reached... No 'Beer Shortage' This Year

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] OB Beer labor and management dramatically reached an agreement on this year's wage and collective bargaining negotiations, avoiding a strike situation.

According to the liquor industry on the 10th, the unions of OB Beer’s Gwangju factory and Icheon factory in Gyeonggi Province decided to accept the management's wage increase proposal through a member vote and decided not to proceed with the previously announced strike. In the final wage negotiation proposal vote held the day before, 558 out of 585 union members participated, with 300 (54%) in favor.

Initially, the two factory unions showed disagreements with management over wage negotiations and decided to strike starting from the 1st of this month. However, after renegotiations, they agreed to accept the management's final proposal. Management had proposed a 5% wage increase and a 2.3% increase in welfare expenses. Earlier, the union at the Cheongju factory in Chungbuk had already accepted the management's proposal.

As a result, OB Beer has resolved concerns about a supply crisis ahead of the summer peak season. Product shipments are expected to proceed without disruption.